Alcohol, when drank to excess, can cause liver disease,
diabetes, heart disease, brain cell death, cancer and gastrointestinal problems – it can also make you fat.

Alcohol has approximately twice the caloric content per gram
as carbohydrates, and since alcohol contains no vitamins or minerals, these are
truly empty calories, good for almost nothing in your body.

Alcohol is converted to sugar in the body, and chronic drinking
can lead to pancreatic problems, such as diabetes, as your body struggles to
cope with bouncing blood sugar levels.

A nightly glass of wine becomes ¾ of a pound in weight gain
a month, if not burned through extra activity. Of course for alcoholics, a
nightly consumption far exceeds one glass, and the potential for considerable
weight gain exists – it's not called a "beer gut" for nothing.

How many Calories in That Drink?

1 ounce of vodka or gin has about 65 calories, with mixer,
of course more.

1 ounce of liqueur (Kahlua, Tia Maria) has just under 200
calories

1 glass (125 ml) of wine has about 85 calories

1 bottle of wine or liquor "cooler" has about 150
calories

1 martini has 140 calories

1 Margarita has about 200 calories

Weight gain for social drinkers can be a serious deterrent,
for alcoholics, it's a necessary evil.

Of course, many alcoholics aren’t fat, some seem almost emaciated,
and although these alcoholics do not suffer from obesity, drinking large quantities
of alcohol without gaining weight likely indicates a more serious problem. Either
these drinkers consume almost all daily calories through alcohol (getting few
needed nutrients from real foods) or they do eat normally, but the alcohol has
affected their gastro intestinal systems to the point that they no longer process
food effectively.

For those heavy drinkers that do gain weight, upon quitting,
in addition to benefiting socially, emotionally and mentally, most people will
start looking a whole lot better in a pair of jeans!